This Weekend in Kato: Davina and the Vagabonds

So, Friday night was a bit of a blur. Local Distortion and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Green Day–bands that play exactly what you’d think, Voltron’d from members of WarRooster, Beautiful Corpse, Face of Oblivion, Acanthostega, and Compulsive Mutilation–played the What’s Up Lounge to a solid crowd. However, there’s a problem with the What’s Up: you’ll eventually drift down to the Oleander. Which is basically the worst bar in the area. Which means you’ll get extra-shitcanned in an attempt to make up for it. Which never works, and then you’re just hammered and bored and significantly sketched-out.

Brutal case of the Too-Many-Jamesons aside, both acts were super fun, and if you’re a fan of Social D or Green Day (seventh-grade me would’ve been stoked), you should catch ’em next time.

Despite racking up an esteemed reputation in the Midwest (and recently, worldwide), Davina and the Vagabonds haven’t ignored Mankato in favor of lusher pastures. And that’s pretty cool. After packing the Wine Cafe to the point of reckless endangerment on multiple occasions, they’re upgrading to Pub 500, which allows for more robust attendance. (Also, actual sightlines.) Frankly, this quintet is too damn big for this town’s bar crowd, and likely one of the best kept secrets in a blues / jazz scene that may or may not exist beyond this hardscabble metalpunk’s purview, making this show essential.

Sure, you could make the quick drive up to Nicollet Mall and see ’em at the Dakota Jazz Club semi-regularly…after placing a reservation weeks in advance for the opportunity to sit on your hands with a crowd of stolid, aging yuppies that turn down their noses at the uptempo numbers. Or you could just drive / walk / bike a few blocks and keep it lower-middle-class.

Speaking of the Dakota, here’s some killer live footage from a 2010 set that wisely keeps the boring white people out of the shot: